Bang Seat Limits

[JamesA]

This one was probably within operating parameters but still worth a mention, IMHO.
Red Arrows, Brighton sea front, 80/1. The usual seaon opener between the piers. Head to head pair pass twice, on third pass one clips yacht mast. Boat owner got frightened and decided to move. Half of wing cut off, pilot ejects and lives to tell tale. All captured by tbe Beeb, who were shooting the Reds for the opening sequence to the Saturday summer variety shows. Incidentally, he was the last to bang out of a Gnat and first out of a Hawk

[bakseetblatherer]

A couple of good stories here, including without a parachute!
EJECTION STORIES

[B Fraser]

I used to work alongside a chap (Alan ?????) who ejected from a Canberra which undershot at Leuchars. The aircraft was on the sea bed. He survived but it was a close run thing.

I reckon the event took place in the late '50s however some of the retired RAF Ppruners may have more information.

[xrba]

Of course there was dear old N.B. who banged out when he didn't want to, and didn't when he did, if you follow my drift! Way outside any parameters both times. Perhaps he will tell his tale here?

[Schiller]

I don't recall a Vixen observer banging out at low level and skidding across the ground as the parachute deployed, but it certainly happened to a Scimitar pilot at RAF Changi in the 60's.

There was an observer who managed to fire his seat while standing up in it facing backwards doing his preflight checks. I wouldn't have thought it survivable if I hadn't witnessed it myself. He flew through the air with the greatest of ease before coming down on the deck with a thump. He was a bit battered and in a cast for some months, but eventually returned to normal flying duties.

[hum]

Miraculous escapes

Plenty spring to mind... 1st female RAF ejectee was a very close call - probably only survived because she was so light and thus avoided being killed on impact following a birdstrike in a Harrier at low level... IIRC the stitching in her boot let go (along with many bones) with the ferocity of the arrival, she then only narrowly escaped being burnt to death when her front seater - himself dazed and injured by the birdstrike, managed to find her and drag her clear of the fire...

Another amazing escape was the USMC guy who was doing the harrier 'Bow' at the end of his AV8A airshow routine (involves rotating the aircraft around the nozzles as they are moved to the 'braking stop') The aircraft started to descend a little as he 'bowed' so he moved his hand to the throttle lever to add power, unfortunately for him, his sleeve caught the nozzle lever and slammed the nozzles aft with the aircraft pointing 20ish degrees nose down.... Result = a spectacular 'tentpeg' right at crowd centre...

Amazingly, the seat fired on impact - apparently not pilot initiated - and everything worked perfectly - no-one was injured (and I guess the crowd went wild )

I met a German 104 pilot once who told me about his miraculous escape... He overcooked it in a low level evasion turn, clipped some trees and the aircraft broke up... He woke up hanging from his parachute in a tree... apparently the wing came off, the fuselage started to spin and somehow the seat was flung out - the main cartriges were never fired...

Makes my 0.6 sec MB initiated parachute ride seem boring...

[xrba]

Schiller, the Vixen looker skipped across the sea in his seat, late ejection at launch.

N.B. had 2 faulty seats, 1st, Vixen underwater mechanism triggered on recovery snagging sear wires, 2nd, Toom handle came of in his hands,[at about M1.7!].

[sycamore]

Prangster,PM for you...